Okinawa, Yokota Bakeries Unite to Keep Operations Rolling After Breakdown

When the oven at the Okinawa bakery went down in June, its sister plant at Yokota Air Base stepped in to assist.

Although Okinawa had enough emergency product on hand to fulfill all orders and maintain stock levels, only two days’ worth of stock was in the plant freezers, so time was of the essence to ensure Exchange restaurants, commissaries and other organizations on Okinawa didn’t run out of the fresh baked goods, including bread, buns and more.

“The Okinawa bakery contacted us to try to get military aircraft (MILAIR) support while the Yokota bakery team coordinated how much product needed to be baked and shipped to them, and we immediately increased production,” said Andrew Defelice, Yokota Exchange general manager.

Without commercial emergency airlifts available in time, immediate collaboration with the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) & Mission Support Group (MSG), 730th Air Mobility Squadron (AMS) and the Exchange’s Japan Area Distribution Center (JADC) was necessary.

Within two days of the oven shutdown, the paperwork was completed and six pallets of baked goods including bread, dinner rolls, hamburger buns and specialty buns for Burger King and Popeyes were wrapped, processed and transported to the flight line at Yokota. The products were loaded on to a C-130J for the nearly 1,000-mile journey to Okinawa.

Within two days of the Okinawa bakery’s oven shutting down, baked goods including bread, dinner rolls, hamburger buns and specialty buns for Burger King and Popeyes were wrapped, processed and transported to the flight line at Yokota. The products were loaded on to a C-130J for the nearly 1,000-mile journey to Okinawa.

In an impressive feat of logistics, that first MILAIR shipment took fewer than 12 hours from wheels up to the last mile delivery to Okinawa, three days after the initial shutdown of the plant oven, with coordination by Okinawa Distribution Center Manager Lewis Meza and Transportation Supervisor Adrian Padilla.

“We owe immense gratitude to Richard Cole (374th MSG deputy director) and Lt. Col. Charles Coffman (374th LRS commander) and Russel Bundy (JADC manager) and their teams for making this happen as quickly as it did,” Defelice said. “Knowing that we have command that is there for us when we need them with zero hesitation is crucial.”

Uji Battle, food plant operations manager, echoed the sentiments of having fellow Exchanges and commanders who are there to assist at—literally—a moment’s notice.

“This was a huge success, and a first for how quickly the shipment arrived,” Battle said. “It’s amazing to have the support of the Camp Humphreys Bakery Plant, Logistics Directorate, our distribution center team, other Exchanges and commanders who can step up in our time of need and keep things running smoothly.”

After the first shipment arrived to ease the burden while oven repairs were underway, several more MILAIR shipments were coordinated along with commercial flights and shipping containers to deliver additional pallets of baked goods to Okinawa.

All told, 178 pallets equaling 2,612 boxes and 36,636 packs of bread were delivered to Okinawa.

Exchange Pacific Region Senior Vice President Jesse Martinez, Vice President Larry Salgado and Commander Col. Jason Beck presented coins to Battle; Repair & Maintenance Supervisor Dimitrios Diamantopoulos, who worked to get the Okinawa oven back online; and Okinawa Bakery Plant Manager Donald Weightman. Letters of appreciation from Beck are planned to recognize everyone involved in the mission’s success.

From left, Repair & Maintenance Supervisor Dimitrios Diamantopoulos, Pacific Region Commander Col. Jason Beck and Food Plant Operations Manager Uji Battle.

Pacific Region Commander Col. Jason Beck with Okinawa Bakery Plant Manager Donald Weightman.